I just bought a reel to reel, after all these years of telling everyone how stupid they are if they do it!

[David Pinnegar]

Rob - wondering how you've done with your Ferrograph Logic? I've got one awaiting a pressure wheel replacement.

Meanwhile

was on a Revox / Itam 3.77 at 7 1/2 ips and
at 15 ips

At the lower speed the force of the capstan isn't quite so strong as to make the back tension irrelevant so the tape speed is very slightly slower at the end of the tape causing sync problems. At 15 ips no problem.

Earlier this year at 7 1/2 ips



and
at 15ips

The advantage of Ferrograph is easy calibration for different tape . . .

Best wishes

David P

 

[rob aylestone]

Well, it has been an epic tale. Ferrograph was a total mess, and the search continued. One other arrived, went up in smoke within five minutes, but l currently have working three models of Revoxes, starting with a tube G36, then an A77 snd a B77. The Tascam 32-4 went up in smoke a month or so ago, and one day I will maybe fix it, but I have to say that while good, none of them are a quality I wish to go back to, or a level of reliability I am used to, and of course at £70 a reel, the running costs are prohibitive. I had hope for being a re-convert, but the frank answer is they are great for nostalgia and heritage. We have a big exhibition in London in September and I've been asked to do some tape editing demos for young people, and spend three days on a heritage stand, mainly to be a ‘voice of reason’ with my pro colleagues taking the other stance. In my studio they look great but offer nothing but problems. Endless cleaning, alignment and double checking. I had forgotten that weird phasey swissh sound you get when a bit of debris pushes the tape off alignment in the guides. Its very nice having them, but using them? Too much noise, too much unreliability, and too high running costs. Even the cheapest chinese interface I have sounds better, and is 100% reliable.

 

[Slouching Raymond]

An iteresting insight into your world, David.